


you're a symphony, i'm just a sour note

by SpringlockedSpectre



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: And now that I actually think about it, DBH, DBHSecretSanta2020, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Musician Gav!!, Musician Nines!!, Pining, Songfic, detroitbecomehuman, kinda?? I guess??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28669776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringlockedSpectre/pseuds/SpringlockedSpectre
Summary: Oh,Nines mused as he put his hand to where his thirium pump rested, an android equivalent of a human’s heart, so to speak.I have a crush.With that revelation, Nines made the only sensible decision and buried his feelings deep down.Nines hears Gavin playing the guitar and realizes that he has a bit of  a crush on the detective. Written for the DBH Secret Santa 2020 Event!
Relationships: Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66
Collections: DBHSecretSanta2020





	you're a symphony, i'm just a sour note

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my gift for @LarsShitpost on Twitter! Hope you like it, m'dude! :D
> 
> Anyway, these are the songs mentioned in the fic:  
> [ _Mad All the Time_ by _Waterparks_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1cStye2IA)  
> [ _Bleak December_ by _Set It Off_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEvgj5qRhRs)  
> [ _Stupid for You_ by _Waterparks_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laG5ROOjT-c)
> 
> And here are their acoustic versions _(which are also linked in the fic because why not lmao)_ because I'm a sucker for acoustic covers of rock songs apparently haha:  
> [ _Mad All the Time_ by _Waterparks_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd7bXFHFusg)  
> [ _Bleak December_ by _Set It Off_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdqjeFT3P8)  
> [ _Stupid for You_ by _Waterparks_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpDgQO75swo)
> 
> Also also!! Thank you to the lovely [Orangebubble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orangebubble/pseuds/Orangebubble) for being my beta for this fic!! You reminded me of so much shit I forgot to write LMAO AFJKAFLMALAMF

It started when Nines came to Gavin’s apartment to corroborate the witness testimony.

Nines would’ve texted or called Gavin, if not for the fact that the detective was neither answering his calls nor responding to his texts. He knew for a fact that Gavin would most likely still be awake at this time, seeing as he had sent the android a couple messages a few minutes prior, so there wouldn’t really be any reason for him to suddenly not be awake.

_Maybe he’s just working on another case,_ Nines thought to himself as he entered the elevator to Gavin’s floor. Gavin _did_ have the tendency to bring work home with him, and snapping him out of his work mode was quite the challenge, as Nines had the misfortune of knowing.

The elevator doors opened with a creak as Nines stepped out and walked over to Gavin’s door, taking note of all the various levels of noise in the apartments surrounding him, the sizzling of oil, laughter of children running around, and the strums of guitar strings filling his mind with so much data.

As he reached Gavin’s apartment, he heard the rhythmic strums of an acoustic guitar get louder, as well as... no, that couldn't be right. He tried adjusting his hearing, first supersonic levels, then subsonic levels. He cross-referenced the melodic voice to several samples of the one person he didn't think would do this sort of thing, but alas, his suspicions were confirmed, which left a question burning at the back of his mind.

Gavin could sing? Was he the one playing the guitar?

_“Writer's block has building blocks, and built these walls around me. And I don't feel lucky in here, buried in my head, I'm seeing red and nothing else.”_

It didn’t really make sense, but here he was, standing in front of the detective’s door, listening in as the human’s husky voice sang what Nines’s analysis software would later recognize as [_Mad All the Time_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd7bXFHFusg) by the band _Waterparks_. Truth be told, Nines never really listened to music before, but after hearing the rendition of this song, Nines became somewhat… curious about what other types of music there were.

_“I feel mad all the time, mad all the time. Mad all the time, mad all the time. Mad all the time, mad all the time. Mad all the time, mad all the time.”_

Since when did Gavin sound so good? Better yet, why hadn’t Nines seen this side of the detective before? Nines didn’t know the answers, but he was content to just listen as Gavin sung the words, fully engorged at the moment. He wondered for a second, whether Gavin would play for him sometime if he asked, but Nines was inclined to believe otherwise.

But still, the thought that he might hear Gavin’s lovely singing voice again...

After a few more verses of the song, the strumming stopped and Nines was suddenly made aware of the fact that he had just spent more than a minute and a half just standing outside Gavin’s door and listening to his cover of a song that was released nearly twenty-three years ago, and _liked it._

Hearing the detective’s voice made quite a few new feelings stir inside him, which while they left him feeling anxious, he also felt… _pleasant._ Nines had always found Gavin fascinating, but he didn’t really think about it too much. Sure, Gavin’s wit was incredible, the way he laughed seemingly lit up the whole room, and it always felt great whenever he smiled at Nines-

_Oh,_ Nines mused as he put his hand to where his thirium pump rested, the android equivalent of a human’s heart, so to speak. _I have a crush._

With that revelation, Nines made the only sensible decision and buried his feelings deep down. _He wouldn’t like me anyway,_ he thought bitterly, despite his face remaining neutral. He knocked on the door politely, nodding to Gavin when the door was opened.

“Hey,” Gavin said casually as he leaned on the doorframe. “Y’need anythin’?”

Nines simply nodded and tried his best to not stare at the detective’s hands and think about how they’d feel clutching his own. “I would just like to corroborate the witness testimony with you, if that’s alright.” 

Gavin simply huffed in amusement, shaking his head before entering his apartment and letting Nines in. “Alright, fine. Let’s finish this case once and for all, toaster.”

* * *

The next time Nines heard Gavin play again, it wasn’t because he asked him to.

Nines and Gavin’s bond grew stronger throughout the time they spent together, both as work partners and as friends. While Nines still had his crush on Gavin, he was still content to be his friend, so he never really confessed it or anything. It wasn’t really that big of a deal, anyway. Gavin said that he didn’t really have too much time for relationships, with work and all.

It was a nice afternoon during their shared day-off, the sunlight streaming through the windows gave Gavin’s apartment a nice and homey vibe. Nines turned over to watch Gavin lying down on the couch with Lily, his cat, on his stomach, petting her idly. Nines tried to ignore the fact that they were nearly touching, with the little space between Gavin’s feet and his leg, he didn’t dare close the distance. It was soft moments like these that made Nines want to tell Gavin about his _little crush_ on him, but he didn’t want to ruin their friendship like that. Besides, Nines was an RK900 model — Cyberlife’s finest creation, never meant to fail. 

Rejection would _devastate_ him.

Gavin started humming idly, a tune that Nines recalled listening to lately. Nines tilted his head at Gavin, still seemingly unaware that he’d piqued Nines’s interest and humming [_Bleak December_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdqjeFT3P8) by the band _Set It Off._ Nines had been researching a bit more into the rock music that Gavin seemed to like, and while Nines himself preferred the acoustic tracks, he couldn’t deny the appeal of electric guitars and basses, thrumming in his audio sensors.

_“As I drive, and drive,”_ Nines sang quietly, hoping not to garner Gavin’s attention. Apparently, it wasn’t quiet enough because Gavin turned his head to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

“You know this song?” Gavin smirked slightly, but it wasn’t the cocky, arrogant smirk he always used at work whenever he had to keep up his bravado. It was somewhat softer, showing a little bit of teeth. _Amusement_.

Nines laid his head back on the couch, hoping that Gavin wouldn’t catch his thirium pump stuttering. “I may have listened to a couple of bands. Sue me.”

Gavin gave him a soft hum, before resuming the petting of his cat. “S’good that you’re exploring more that life has to offer. Even if it’s just music to vibe to.”

“Yes,” Nines responded, pausing for a few moments before lifting his head back up to face Gavin. “What kind of music do you like, Gavin? I would’ve guessed that based on what you hum on the way to work you liked rock bands, but are there any other types of music that you like?”

Gavin hummed in thought, scratching his chin before sighing audibly. “I dunno, probably just anything that gives me the energy to do things. Pop sometimes does it, but I usually find that energy in rock, punk, all that. What about you?”

“I haven’t really been listening to much, so I’m quite partial to rock music as well,” Nines admitted, smiling at the soft sound of Gavin’s snort. “Although, I do tend to like the acoustic versions of rock songs. It’s just… different, you know?”

The quiet resumed for a brief moment, until Gavin suddenly shot up and got off the couch, much to the dismay of Lily. Nines looked at Lily apologetically as she trotted elsewhere to nap undisturbed. Gavin returned with his guitar in his arms, strumming a few times before he reseated himself on the couch.

“You like acoustic, yeah? Come on, sing with me,” Gavin grinned at him, before playing the notes to _Bleak December_ and starting the song. _“Gimme gimme gimme the truth, now.”_

_“I promise I can handle it if you can.”_ Nines was so confused as to what was happening, but he wasn’t complaining by any means. He heard Gavin singing _and_ playing the guitar again, but this time he was joining in on the singing part. He and Gavin just sang for a bit, eventually moving onto other bands like _Movement_ , _Grayscale_ , and _Awake At Last_.

After a few more songs, they eventually stopped, and Nines took a minute to appreciate Gavin like this. He was still strumming his guitar, though not to any tune that Nines knew of — analysis software and all — looking quite… _peaceful and mellow_. Almost as if he was always on guard before and found himself safer lost in the strumming of strings.

“Will you teach me?” Nines asked, not knowing where it came from, but there was no going back now. Gavin only gave him a brief ‘hm?’ in response. Nines looked at the guitar in his partner’s arms. “How to play guitar. I want to learn.”

“Can’t you just download some sorta guitar manual in your head?” Gavin scoffed, yet his eyes were soft and endearing. Nines smiled and shook his head.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Nines replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Gavin simply raised an eyebrow and gave him an unimpressed look. “Didn’t you say once that you wanted to teach me something? This your chance, Gavin.”

Gavin seemed to think it through for a moment, before sighing and giving in. “Alright. I’ll teach ya, but don’t expect me to be good at it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

* * *

Just because Nines hid his feelings well, didn’t mean that his facade was impenetrable. The next workday was an example of that.

Based on what Connor shared with him, Gavin used to be the most hated person in the precinct. Always stepping on other people’s toes to try to get a leg up over them, doing anything to gain that promotion. He was just an insufferable, arrogant prick, in the words of Connor.

Seeing him now, though? Nines could tell that he changed. He hadn’t stopped being an asshole, of course, but he was at least more cordial. His ambition never died, he still strived to be promoted, but he cared about others more, despite his complete denial of the fact. He slowly but surely began getting invited to more hangouts, and Nines was astonished to see how Gavin strived in a social environment. The way how everyone’s eyes turned to him as he spun tales of their work-life ignited a spark within the detective, and the thrill of every chase and finding clues always seemed to brighten his mood.

And yet, Nines found himself liking the more reserved part of Gavin. He liked how Gavin cooed at Lily, how the human laughed whenever it was just his close friends. Seeing him laugh like no one else was there, unbridled joy evident on his face, always felt like heaven to Nines. Nearly everything the detective did somehow made Nines feel warm, whether it be something kind, smart, sassy, or whatever. 

Nines was proud of Gavin, he really was. Seeing the joy in his eyes whenever someone who used to despise him bantered in a friendly way always brought a smile to Nines’s face. Hearing him talk about how it felt nice to actually have people like him made Nines want to engulf Gavin in a hug and tell him that he deserved every bit of love he was getting.

It just kind of sucked whenever other people told him that too.

The workday went on as usual, Gavin headed straight for his desk, still somewhat tired from working late last night. Nines went over to the breakroom to get him some coffee, chatting with Officer Person for a bit before walking back to Gavin’s desk, only to find Officer Zachary Carson there with a cup of coffee already in hand.

“H-Hey, Detective Reed!” The officer said rather shyly. Gavin looked up at him, a sleepy yet intrigued look on his face. Officer Carson grinned at him for a brief moment, before offering him the cup. “I uh. Figured you were tired so…”

Gavin stared at the coffee for a short moment, before looking up at Officer Carson with a soft grin and taking the cup, their hands brushing for a brief moment. “Thanks, Zach.”

Officer Carson blushed as he nodded and stayed for a few more moments, talking to Gavin for what felt like an eternity, while Nines just stood in the middle of the hallway, watching their interactions. Nines didn’t even realize that his LED was red until Connor pointed it out to him through their private channel.

**RK800-52:** Are you alright? Your LED has been spinning red for at least a minute now.   
**RK900-87:** I think I may be jealous.

Connor seemed to be surprised at that, before sending calming feelings through their link, offering to talk to him if he needed it. Nines felt slightly better after that, but he still didn’t like how… _close_ Officer Carson seemed to be with Gavin. How Gavin laughed at whatever Officer Carson had said.

**RK800-52:** You’ll figure this out somehow. You always do. :)

He sighed and shook his head before dumping the coffee he prepared down the drain and heading back to Gavin’s desk. Officer Carson stuttered out a goodbye at the sight of him, which Gavin responded to with a lazy salute before taking another sip of his coffee. Nines was about to say something pertinent to the case up until he saw a number scrawled on the side of the cup, barely covered by Gavin’s fingers, one registered to Officer Carson’s phone.

Nines knew that his LED was spinning red again, and when Gavin asked about it, he just said that there was just a minor error in his software. Gavin didn’t look like he believed him, but thankfully dropped the topic. Throughout the day, Nines kept recalling how Gavin’s rough and calloused hand brushed with Officer Carson’s own, wishing that it were him instead.

Jealousy _sucked._

* * *

Nines didn’t own many things. He had a barely furnished apartment, his detective plaque at work, the clothes he wore, and that’s about it. He never really thought about buying things for himself, seeing as he didn’t really know what he wanted to get, but at this point of his deviancy, he felt like he kind of knew what he wanted.

So that’s why he found himself wanting to get an acoustic guitar. He’d already searched for some online, eyes being drawn to a nice looking one with a white body with black accents, yet upon coming across a well-used yet well cared for guitar with some stickers littering its black body, Nines couldn’t help but fall in love with it.

He had been walking home from the grocery store after buying the human some food he could actually eat when he found himself standing in front of a large yard with tables, a not so large sign proclaiming _‘YARD SALE!’_ to any onlookers. Various items were placed along the tables, each having their own fair share of wear and tear, yet it could be seen from a glance that these items were well used. Loved.

The guitar was placed delicately on a table, cushioned by soft-looking velvet pillows with a plaque that simply read _‘_ _handle with care’_. Nines smiled at the sign, noticing the woman who seemed to be running this yard sale walk up to him.

“She’s a beauty, ain’t she?” the woman asked out loud. “She’s been with me since I was in my late teens, and she still works like a charm.”

“She is very lovely,” Nines sighed, a small grin working its way onto his face. “Is she for sale?”

“Twenty bucks for her,” the woman responded as she gently took the guitar, holding it as if it were her child, before handing it to Nines. He quickly paid for it, thanking the woman. The woman only smiled and waved him off. “Just take care of her, yeah?”

“I will,” Nines smiled back at her, a genuine grin on his face before he headed off on his way back to his apartment.

When he got home, he found Gavin standing in front of his door, his guitar at his side and a bored look on his face before he spotted the guitar in Nines’s arms. Gavin’s eyes widened and a grin appeared on his face. “Nice, man.”

Nines simply smiled and unlocked the door, letting Gavin in before closing the door. Gavin immediately sat down on his couch, strumming a few strings in rapid succession before picking up on their last lesson. Gavin smiled at Nines as he settled down beside him, tuning his newly acquired guitar. “Guess you don’t have to borrow my guitar anymore, huh?”

“Guess not. Shall we get started then?” Nines smiled back. As Gavin started explaining how to do certain chords, he noticed his phone vibrate. Nines noticed too, but seeing as Gavin chose to ignore it, it couldn’t have been important. After a few more minutes of constant vibration, Gavin seemed to get rather annoyed, finally whipping out his phone and sending an irritated message by the looks of things.

“Fucking… can’t wait an hour, goddamn,” Gavin muttered under his breath. Nines tilted his head, a questioning gaze on his face. Gavin sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “It’s fuckin’ Zach again.”

“Oh.” Nines turned away as he felt his LED blare red for a quick moment before circling back to yellow. He still couldn’t get over the fact that Carson actually managed to… _somehow_ get into Gavin’s heart. It had been nearly two weeks since Carson slipped his number in, and already he was going on dates with Gavin. It made Nines feel… “You should probably answer that.”

“Psh. I dunno, man,” Gavin dismissed with a wave of his hand, his brows scrunched in annoyance. “It’s just... I haven’t dated in god knows how long and I wanna keep things private for a while, just to see how it goes and he’s already announced on fuckin’ Instagram that we’re boyfriends or whatever.”

_Ah yes,_ Nines remembered seeing that. He was accompanying Connor on a coffee run and accidentally crushed the coffee cup in his hand, spilling coffee all over his pants. Nines was about to give some sort of reply, until Gavin added onto his previous statement.

“I mean, we’re still dating, for fuck’s sake! I never said we were anything, much less boyfriends.”

Nines perked up slightly, trying not to look like he wanted to hear that but also probably failing. Thankfully, Gavin was too busy cursing under his breath and strumming a different unfamiliar tune with his eyes closed, most likely to calm himself down. At least Nines knew that he had a shot if this thing with Carson fell through. 

He felt kind of bad for wanting Carson’s relationship with Gavin to fail. But he figured that if Carson couldn’t respect Gavin’s decision to keep things quiet for a while, then he probably shouldn’t even be dating Gavin at all.

“Oh hey! Nearly forgot, but…” Gavin rummaged through his messenger bag that he had brought with him, pulling out a nice portfolio, and then carefully taking out some sheet music tucked within it. “I uh… wrote a new song the other day, and I figured that you. Might wanna play with me? It’s a duet so…”

Nines grinned as if Gavin just hung the sun, the moon, and the stars for him, nodding and smiling even wider as Gavin gave him a big grin. Gavin cleared his throat and fingered some chords on his guitar.

“Alright, let’s get started then!”

* * *

To say that Nines was elated when he found out that Gavin dumped Officer Carson was an understatement.

Reflecting on Officer Carson’s behavior, Nines deemed the grandiose statements of their love to be a bit much for Gavin, who confided in him that he only wanted something lowkey for the meantime. Nines showed distaste for Officer Carson’s even more monumental apologies in attempts to get the detective back, and apparently, Gavin mirrored the sentiment at the last crime scene, snapping at the officer and storming off the crime scene to smoke.

Needless to say, Nines was happy that he had one less problem to think about as he entered stasis for the next few weeks.

Although, more problems came up in the form of Sergeant Audrey Banks and Detective McCree, a PC200 that had made it to detective. Detective McCree was an android who came from the ninth precinct and was only at DPD Central for a case that needed some more people, hence their temporary partnership with both Gavin and Nines. Meanwhile, Sergeant Banks was just visiting Central from the second precinct, and just so happened to find out about Gavin’s incredible work ethic.

Based on their very limited interactions with both Sergeant Banks and Detective McCree, Nines could tell that Gavin was absolutely relishing the attention given to him. He _loved_ telling Nines about how they actually bothered to respect his boundaries and all the other good things about them. And he was happy for Gavin, finally finding people who cared for him, who actually listened to him.

He was just upset that it wasn’t _him_.

**RK800-52:** You’re going to have to tell him eventually.

Nines groaned as he messed up a chord, Connor’s statement catching him by surprise, frustration building up in his systems as he kept trying and failing to play the song he wanted. As the days kept passing by, it had inevitably hit Nines that he’d have to confess his feelings, for the sake of his peace of mind. But he was just so terrified of whatever the outcome might be that he never really dwelled much on it.

So here he was, trying to learn a song to hopefully let Gavin know how he really felt for him.

**RK900-87:** I will. I just need more time to get this right.   
**RK800-52:** It doesn’t have to be perfect. You are enough for him.

That was another thing. Upon finding out that Gavin was the person Nines had a crush on, Connor was at first weary. However, he eventually saw the Gavin that Nines knew instead of the Detective Reed that he always played at work, and assisted Nines in his endeavors. 

Nines appreciated Connor very much, and he showed it as much through their link, yet the underlying dread of the possible outcomes was still there. Connor sent feelings of warmth and love, and a preconstruction of Nines holding Gavin in his arms, content just to be. Nines relaxed in Connor’s belief in him, letting his shoulders sag as he played the tune like clockwork.

He sighed as he played the song, Connor listening in through their link and giving praise for his dedication and the time he put into this. Nines still felt panic, still felt fear that Gavin would laugh in his face and say that they were never meant to be, but he also felt hope. Hope that Gavin would appreciate the gesture, and maybe even like him back just a little.

**RK900-87:** Thank you.   
**RK800-52:** No problem. :)

* * *

“Thank you for coming, Gavin. I know the ride here must have been a bit tedious.”

“No problem, Tin Can. I haven’t been out on a legit picnic in ages,” Gavin smiled at him as he sat down on the plaid blanket Nines had found to be most suitable for picnics. They were currently at Kent Lake, the sun sinking below the lake bathing everything in a nice golden hue.

Nines smiled back, digging into his picnic basket for Gavin’s food and thirium for himself. He laid them out on the blanket, and they just talked for a nice few moments as they _(or rather, Gavin)_ ate their food, and Nines knew that he wanted more moments like this. Just the two of them, close together, doing practically nothing besides enjoying one another’s presence.

The food slowly diminished, and Gavin complemented Nines for finding some of _‘the good shit’_ for him. The night dragged on, Gavin stretched out on the blanket, staring at the stars, and Nines figured that now was as good a time as any. He pulled out his guitar and started strumming a few notes. Gavin turned his head to face him, a question in his eyes.

“I… I wanted to play you a song,” Nines stammered a bit, chuckling nervously as Gavin simply raised an eyebrow. “Just to, um. Make my feelings known.”

Gavin’s brows scrunched, yet Nines didn’t really pay attention to him. He simply closed his eyes and played the tune as he began singing. _“Hey, tell me what you want me to say. You know I’m[stupid for you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpDgQO75swo). Hey, can you come and come out and play? You know I’m stupid for you.” _

Nines strummed the next few notes, head facing towards the lake to avoid Gavin’s eyes. He heard Gavin shuffle a bit, likely getting up into a sitting position, and despite his spiking anxiety, Nines continued to play. _“I’m color coding my moods, you’re yellow, I’m natural blue, let’s mix together and be green like my insides. At least I’ll match your eyes, jealous and hypnotized, let’s match our faces and be equally in love.”_

He chanced a glance at Gavin, seeing his grey-green eyes sparkle with a glint of… _something_ . He didn’t linger on it for too long, repeating the song’s chorus and going onto the next verse, strengthening his resolve and deciding to look at Gavin for the rest of the song. _“Just double dare me, and I promise now that I’ll stay. It’s not like you’re married, but I still got carried away.”_

As he sang the chorus again, he noticed an endearing smile on Gavin’s face, looking like Nines just hung the sun, the moon, and the stars for him. Nines smiled and looked down for a moment, believing it to only be a trick of the light, but when he looked back he still saw the sheer amount of _affection_ in Gavin’s eyes.

_“You’re playing ring ‘round my head, I wear you like a halo. You’re a symphony, I’m just a sour note. I’ll take what I can get, the best is hard to grip when everybody wants you...”_ Nines gave Gavin a bittersweet smile, thinking of Zachary Carson, of Audrey Banks and McCree, and of everyone else that ever expressed interest in the detective. _“And everybody wants you.”_

Gavin remained silent, still looking at Nines with all the affection in his eyes, yet there was also a bit of a sad tinge over them. As if saying that everybody did want him, and it was a little too late for his confession. Nines shook his head, hoping that the wetness he felt on his face wasn’t because he was tearing up.

Soon enough, he finished his song, and placed his guitar at his side, and an unsettling quiet settled over them. Nines felt that this was the part where Gavin rejected him, where he said that he never wanted to see him again and Nines had to transfer to a different precinct, yet he still smiled as Gavin leaned in closer and-

_He kissed him._

Nines was a bit shocked at first, not knowing how to react, but as Gavin pulled away, he chased his lips, placing a hand on the back of Gavin’s neck and using his other to cradle Gavin’s face. The detective reciprocated his kiss with vigor, pushing in harder until they both fell back onto the blanket.

They separated for a short while, before going at it again, and again, and again. When they were finally sated _(for now),_ Gavin rolled over to lay beside Nines, breathing heavily and sighing contentedly. And Nines was just… taking in _everything_ . The feeling of Gavin’s lips pressed against his own, the hitch of his thirium pump as the detective gave back as much as he got, and just… _the happiness_.

Of not being rejected. Of his feelings being reciprocated.

“So,” Gavin spoke up, still trying to catch his breath yet seeming to be in no hurry to do so. _“‘Stupid For You’_ by _Waterparks,_ huh?”

“If the shoe fits,” Nines responded, his LED spinning a happy blue since their kiss. He turned to face his partner, who was already facing him. “I… I really love you, Gavin.”

“Yeah?” Gavin grinned. “You gonna ask me, or am I gonna have to ask you?”

“Ask what?” Nines brows furrowed and Gavin rolled his eyes, reaching out to take Nines’s hand and place a gentle kiss on his knuckles.

“Wanna be boyfriends?” Gavin asked nonchalantly, as if it wasn’t a big deal for either of them. Nines felt his thirium pump stutter again, and he smiled as he thought _‘I love this man. I love this man so, so much.’_

“Of course I do,” Nines grinned at him with bright eyes as he leaned in for another kiss. They stayed there under the stars for a few more moments, relishing in each other’s presence, trading kisses and soft words to one another, and Nines committed them all to memory.


End file.
